Aeroelastic tailoring using lamination parameters

Abstract

The aim of the present work is to passively reduce the induced drag of the rear wing of a Formula One car at high velocity through aeroelastic tailoring. The angle-ofattack of the rear wing is fixed and is determined by the required downforce needed to get around a turn. As a result, at higher velocity, the amount of downforce and related induced drag increases. The maximum speed on a straight part is thus reduced due to the increase in induced drag. A fibre reinforced composite torsion box with extension-shear coupled upper and lower skins is used leading to bendingtorsion coupling. Three-dimensional static aeroelastic analysis is performed loosely coupling the Finite Element code Nastran and the Computational Fluid Dynamics panel code VSAERO using ModelCenter. A wing representative of Formula One rear wings is optimised for minimum induced drag using a response surface methodology. Results indicate that a substantial induced drag reduction is achievable while maintaining the desired downforce during low speed turns.

Aeroelastic Demonstrator Wing Design for Maneuver Load Alleviation Under Cruise Shape Constraint

“…More specific research on the use of aeroelastic tailoring has been performed to minimize structural weight [23][24][25][26][27][28], to maximize flutter speed [25,26,[29][30][31][32], to optimize the gust response characteristics of wings [33,34], and on the effect of tow-steered composites on wing aeroelastic characteristics [3,5]. An example of the use of aeroelastic tailoring in nonaerospace applications is the research by Thuwis et al [35] of aeroelastic tailoring of the rear wing of an F1 car. In addition to several numerical studies, experiments have been performed on tailored composite plates to assess the divergence and flutter characteristics of such structures [36][37][38][39][40].…”

A novel dynamic aeroelastic framework for aeroelastic tailoring and structural optimisation

“…[9] Furthermore, some research has been done on the effect of aeroelastic tailoring on the stability of supersonic aircraft [10], wings with external stores [11] and also in applications outside aerospace engineering. [12] Early research performed by Librescu has focused on the aeroelastic tailoring of thin-walled beams, [13][14][15] which has more recently been extended by Qin et al [10,16]. The effect of variable stiffness along the span has been investigated by Dillinger et al [17] using a shell model coupled to DLM in Nastran to do the static aeroelastic optimization of the top and bottom skin using lamination parameters and the laminate thickness.…”

Assessment of Digital Image Correlation as a method of obtaining deformations of a structure under fluid load

“…The tested specimen (a curved daggerboard from the NACRA F20 Carbon catamaran) allows the DIC methodology to be assessed in challenging conditions due to its complex geometry and the fact that only small deformations are expected under aerodynamic loading. The presented methodology will be of use not only to high performance foils for catamarans, but also to wind turbine blades (Lin and Lai 2010, Fedorov, et al 2009, Karaolis, Musgrove and Jenimidis 1988, Nicholls-Lee, Boyd and Turnock 2009, helicopter rotors Chopre November-December, 1995, Murugan, Ganguli andHarursampath January-February, 2008), propeller blades (Khan, et al 2000, Lee and, ship rudders Wright 2000, Molland andTurnock 2007) and high performance racing cars (Thuwis, et al 2010). At the time of writing, little research has been developed involving Digital Image Correlation (DIC) within a wind tunnel to evaluate a coupled FSI problem.…”